World War II
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The Allied Powers
The Allied Powers were the victorious side of World War II, which happened to be the side that the United States was on (1). The Allied Powers were made up of France, Great Britain, the United States, China, and the Soviet Union. The Allied Powers are seen as the good guys in WWII, as their mission was to stop fascism in Europe and stop German leader Adolph Hitler from achieving his goals. The Allied Powers were losing the war and victory for the Axis Powers looked certain, but with the combined power of the United States and Soviet Union, the Allied Powers were able to defeat the Germans and Japanese.
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The Axis Powers
The Axis Powers was on the losing side of World War II, which was made up of Germany, Japan, and Italy. Germany was led by Adolph Hitler, a man who had a goal to takeover Europe and expand Germany into the worlds most dominant empire. The power that he possessed and the way he treated people led to other nations teaming up in order to defeat him and his fascist allies, such as Benito Mussolini (3).
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The U.S. vs. Japan
On December 7th, 1941, the Japanese attacked an American military base in Hawaii called Pearl Harbor, sparking a heated rivalry between the two nations. Due to the fighting between the two nations, those of Japanese descent were discriminated against and held prisoner due to concerns of American safety (5). Due to Japanese culture and their desire to not dishonor their country and family, they made for tough opponents for the U.S. military. The United States ended up victorious against Japan, ending the war by dropping two atomic bombs on Japan and forcing them to surrender.
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The United States Economy and the War
Heading into World War II, the United States economy was still suffering from The Great Depression, but along with war comes business opportunities. The United States was able to sell weapons and equipment to countries participating in World War II, bringing jobs to the country and boosting their economy (7). With the United States involvement in the war, they were able to lower the unemployment rate and open up new opportunities for its citizens.
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Adolph Hitler
Adolph Hitler was a dictator that headed the Nazi Party of Germany when they overthrew the government and took-over the country (9). Hitler and his colleagues were responsible for starting World War II and were responsible for the deaths of millions all over the world. Under his leadership, Nazi Germany executed the holocaust, which was a genocide affecting the Jewish population. Due to his political views and the allies he made, he created all sorts of enemies for himself; This included the "Big Three" consisting of the United States, Great Britain, and Soviet Union, the group that would eventually take him down.
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